HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Honolulu city councilwoman Val Okimoto said she will not voluntarily leave her position as chair of the Public Safety Committee, and, by law, cannot recuse from issues that affect the Honolulu Fire Department.
Okimoto is in a relationship with a manager at HFD, a battalion chief who is in charge of the helicopter unit.
That unit got a new $10.6 million aircraft last year. Okimoto was not on the council when that purchase was approved, but she told HNN Investigates that she would support the appropriation of another chopper for HFD…